Seoul best city for students in the world, Tokyo second; Mumbai among top 100 in QS rankings

Seoul Overtakes London in QS Rankings as Top Student City, Indian Cities Climb

Seoul has claimed the top spot in the QS World University Rankings for student-friendly cities, surpassing London, which held the position for six years. Tokyo secured second place, while London dropped to third, primarily due to a decline in its affordability ranking, now at 137th globally. The QS Rankings, compiled by London-based QS Quacquarelli Symonds, evaluate 150 cities worldwide based on factors like affordability, desirability, and student feedback.

Four Indian Cities Among Top 130 for Students

Four Indian cities—Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai—have earned spots among the world’s top 130 student-friendly cities, each improving from last year’s rankings. Mumbai advanced 15 places to re-enter the top 100 at 98th. Delhi climbed seven spots to 104th, scoring highest globally for affordability. Bengaluru saw the largest leap, rising 22 places to 108th, while Chennai moved up 12 spots to 128th.

In the “Employer Activity” category, reflecting graduate employment opportunities, Delhi and Mumbai ranked among the global top 50. Bengaluru made the most significant gain, jumping 41 places to 59th, and Chennai improved by 29 places.

QS CEO Jessica Turner highlighted India’s progress, attributing it to a “structural shift” in its higher education system. “As we near the fifth anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, its emphasis on global engagement, quality improvement, and student-focused learning is yielding results internationally,”